The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus such as a personal computer and a portable game machine having a function for detecting as to whether a speech inputted by speech input means such as a microphone is a breathing sound, and relates to an image display control method using breath detection in such a data processing apparatus.
Conventionally, when moving an image on a display screen of a personal computer or successively changing a displayed state of an image in such a case of blowing up an image of a balloon, a method for moving the image by means of operations of cursor moving keys on the keyboard, a mouse or the like and for supplying a command to change the display state of the image is generally used.
In addition, there provides an application program such that words of a user inputted through a microphone are recognized to move an artificial life living in a virtual world on the display screen according to the inputted words, or such that a robot connected to a personal computer is moved according to the inputted words.
However, since it is quite different actions from the real breathing action to blow off or blow up a balloon on the display screen by means of the operations of a keyboard and mouse, the user feels a sense of incompatibility and that the virtual world on the display screen is different from the real world.
As mentioned above, the application program for moving an artificial life and a robot by means of words inputted through a microphone is effective in eliminating a distance between a user and a virtual world on the display screen or a robot, but this application program functions for moving and changing images on the display screen or for operating a robot according to breathing in/on without words.